Arlene Rivera Finkelstein has been appointed assistant dean and executive director of the Law School’s Toll Public Interest Center. She will direct Penn Law’s public-interest initiatives, including student pro bono projects. Ms. Finkelstein came to Penn Law earlier this month from Widener University School of Law, where she was the inaugural director of the Public Interest Resource Center. She graduated from Temple Law with a JD in 1995 and took her BS from Cornell in 1992.

“Arlene has earned a reputation as someone who is deeply committed to students’ development and growth as public-interest and pro bono attorneys,” Penn Law School Dean Michael Fitts said.

Penn Law is the first national law school to establish a mandatory pro bono requirement. Students are required to perform 70 hours of pro bono work before graduation, gaining knowledge and skills while providing services to clients who might otherwise not receive legal assistance. Students have assisted clients seeking asylum from political prosecution in their home countries, provided assistance to the homeless and advised clients on family-law issues.